Band 6.0 IELTS Writing Task 1 Model Answer

Overall Band Score: 6.0 · Cambridge IELTS 18 · 2026-09-11

IELTS Writing Task 1 question

The chart below shows the number of households in the US by their annual income in 2007, 2011 and 2015.

Summarize the information by selecting and reporting the main features and make comparisons where relevant.

Student answer (Band 6.0)

The given bar chart provides information about the number of households by income at the period from 2007 to 2015 every four years in the US.

Overall, the number of incomes looked steady without any dramatic rise in each year. For example, at the beginning the incomes looked average, and did not have a very big difference, except $75,000-$99,999. However, at the end, the number of households did not significantly change.

In 2007, the number of households whose income was less than $25,000 was 25 million, and after 4 years the bar rose steadily to about 28 million. However, the number of families in 2015 dropped to over 26 million. The number of households with income from $25,000 to $49,999, in 2007 was over 26 million. After some amount of time, the bar rose to about 29 million families, and by the end of the period, it decreased to over 27 million.

At the beginning, the number of households whose income was from $50,000 to $74,999, was much lower than the other two incomes and had over 20 million. After 4 years it rose steadily to 22 million, and after another 4 years it fell to 20 million again. In addition, the number of families with an income from $75,000 to $99,999 was the smallest in comparison with other 3 incomes, , In 2007 it had over 14 million families, and did not grow until 2015. At the end it increased to about 15 million. In contrast, the number of households with an income from $100,000 and more, was the highest in comparison with other incomes. In 2007 it had over 29 million families, but in 2014 it had decreased to over 27 million. And in 2015 it dramatically rose to over 34 million families.

AI examiner evaluation

Task Achievement / Task Response — Band 6.0

The response covers all parts of the task and identifies key trends. You have successfully highlighted the main features, such as the fluctuations in income brackets and the significant rise in the highest income group by 2015. However, the overview is somewhat weak; stating that incomes 'looked steady' is a slight over-generalisation given the fluctuations described later. To improve, ensure the overview highlights the most significant trends rather than describing them as static. The data is generally accurate, though there is a minor inconsistency in the text where you mention 2014 instead of 2015, which slightly affects the precision of your reporting.

Coherence and Cohesion — Band 6.5

The essay is logically organised into paragraphs, with a clear introduction, overview, and body paragraphs focusing on specific income categories. You use cohesive devices such as 'In addition', 'In contrast', and 'However' to link ideas. However, some transitions feel slightly mechanical, and the referencing is occasionally repetitive. The paragraphing is appropriate, but the flow between sentences could be improved by varying the structure of your cohesive links. Overall, the progression of ideas is clear, and the reader can easily follow the comparison of the data across the three years provided.

Lexical Resource — Band 5.5

You demonstrate an adequate range of vocabulary for the task, using terms like 'dramatically', 'steadily', and 'fluctuations' (implied). However, the vocabulary is somewhat repetitive, particularly the frequent use of 'number of households' and 'incomes'. To reach a higher band, try to incorporate more varied synonyms such as 'demographic', 'earnings bracket', 'proportion', or 'figures'. There are also minor issues with word choice, such as 'at the period from', which should be 'over the period from'. The vocabulary is sufficient to convey your meaning clearly, but lacks the sophistication required for higher bands.

Grammatical Range and Accuracy — Band 5.5

You use a mix of simple and complex sentence structures. While many sentences are clear, there are several grammatical errors, such as 'at the period from' and 'in comparison with other 3 incomes, , In 2007'. Punctuation is occasionally faulty, specifically the double comma usage. There are also minor tense inconsistencies and awkward phrasing, such as 'the number of incomes looked steady'. While these errors do not impede communication, they occur frequently enough to prevent a higher score. Focusing on subject-verb agreement and refining your use of complex sentence structures will help improve your accuracy.

See this exact question answered at other band scores — the same prompt compared across bands.

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